What is this template for?
This template lets you compare your digital experience directly against your top competitors. By observing real users attempting the same tasks on your site and a competitor’s site, you can pinpoint exactly where your navigation, pricing transparency, or layout falls behind or stands out.
What type of questions are included in the template?
This template focuses on Comparative Performance and Taxonomy Validation:
- Menu vs. Search Behavior: Forces users to navigate via your category tree to test if your labels match their expectations (e.g., “Do users look for ‘Jackets’ under ‘Men’ or ‘Outerwear’?”).
- Feature Gap Analysis: Prompts users to identify tools, filters, or content on competitor sites they wish were available on your site.
- Head-to-Head Preference: A forced-choice question requiring users to pick a winner for “Ease of Use” and “Visual Appeal.”
- Friction Comparison: Identifies if users can complete a task (such as finding a return policy) faster on your site versus a competitor’s.
What type of results can I expect by using this template?
- Win/Loss Ratios: A clear metric showing “70% of users preferred the Competitor’s navigation.”
- Taxonomy Blind Spots: Qualitative evidence of users getting lost in your sub-menus while breezing through a competitor’s.
- Best-in-Class Inspiration: Specific feedback on features (such as “Quick Add” or “Compare”) users value most from competitor sites, providing a roadmap for future innovation.
- SWOT Analysis Data: The raw user feedback needed to build a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis for your stakeholders.
How can I use this template?
Simply input your URL and one competitor’s URL. We recommend recruiting users who have shopped with both brands before for the most nuanced feedback, or users who are brand new to both for an unbiased “First Impression” test. This is the perfect study to run before a redesign to ensure you aren’t removing features that users actually prefer over the competition. This test is meant to be set as client + 2 main competitors.
